


Along that Bridge of Espanya

by beynibini



Category: Noli Me Tangere & Related Works - José Rizal
Genre: Angst, Late at Night, Love, M/M, Violins, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-01 20:28:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19184989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beynibini/pseuds/beynibini
Summary: It was the night before of Juanito's wedding day and it might be the last night of Placido Penitente and him conversing with each other.





	Along that Bridge of Espanya

**Author's Note:**

> Finally posting this as Araw ng Kalayaan treat aaaaa

The moon was shining from the night sky as if having that craving of wanting to be noticed and appreciated. Placido Penitente's face was illuminated by the moon, his face may be void of any emotion but his eyes spoke his whole being. He was hurt. He tried to shrug off the feeling he had in his heart for many times but he couldn't stop its clenching as if thousands of invisible needles pierce it over and over again. It was painful, beyond even.

The content of Señor Simoun's letter wasn't something new to him. He heard the rumors, the talk of the town and the topic of almost everyone.

Juanito and Paulita tying the knot. Señor Simoun planting a bomb on Kapitan Tiago's mansion. Killing all who are considered to be social cancers, including those who are purely innocent of everything.

Seconds of staring into the dark horizon, he felt a tear escape his eye and roll down his cheek.

"Pathetic," he muttered to himself and bowed his head not stopping any tear drop from streaming down his face.

He tried fiddling the heart stone he had gained from Señor Simoun to somehow divert his attention to ease what he was feeling but to no avail that gesture didn't help.

He decided to take a walk, wiping off the tears on his face and dusting the dirt on his pants. He strode along the streets of Intramuros and when he found the perfect place to stare at the moon he sat on the bridge of Espanya, legs dangling while only looking forward.

He listened to his heartbeat. He knew that he felt nothing for Juanito Pelaez or that was what he was trying to convince himself. But looking into the possibilities, it was never to happen. Juanito would always come back to Paulita, she's someone who one could've wished for, the ideal and the right one. No wonder men fall at her feet.

Placido wasn't someone to fight for. He was just him. It just wouldn't be worth it at the end. He smiled stupidly, closed his eyes and moved his head up to shake the tension he was feeling from his head.

Just by doing so his body felt a presence, something all too familiar to him, and when he opened his eyes, he found the serene face of Juanito Pelaez. He had to look twice to be sure, and Juanito just watched Placido blink twice with a little enthusiasm.

"Hey, Placy, it's me," the former chuckled. Placido being dumbfounded was an understatement. He was struck, or much more than that but anyways. He noticed that the new comer was bringing with him his favorite instrument.

"What are you doing here? Let alone bring a violin with you?" Placido inquired out of curiosity now eyeing at the moon before the both of them.

"I was planning on serenading you," Juanito joked and lightly tapped Placido's shoulder. The latter rolled his eyes and tapped the space on his right as if telling Juanito to sit beside him. "Anyways, I've come here for the purpose of trying to think things through."

"So you do think?" Placido scoffed and folded his arms, partly to hide his negative feelings. Juanito placed his violin at his right and glanced at Placido.

"Of course, I do, Placidings," Juanito confidently said and after that, the sound of the river flowing was the only evident sound.

The night sky, the perfect moonlight and the two of them was a peaceful scenery, well almost, Placido's heart and mind weren't. Same goes for Juanito, but the man was too stubborn. He wouldn't dare acknowledge that, he would do anything to just not inflict pain on himself.

Humor on him, because when he noticed Placido's swollen eyes and pinkish nose, he also felt the same pain with the same intensity on his heart. They were hurting each other physically and emotionally without intention.

"So the Placido Penitente actually cries?" Juanito asked with a smile, that he knew suppressed every feeling of melancholy.

"Crying is only for pathetic people, Juanito." Both men had the chance to glance at each other. Their eyes met as they chuckle to Placido's statement, and both noticed the unshed tears in each of their orbs.

Seconds after Placido had his tears once again streaming down his face. He quickly wiped it not realizing that Juanito also did the same. Juanito breathed in and bit back a sob.

"I'm sorry," Juanito whispered with a heavy heart.

"You didn't have to," Placido muttered bitterly. "You deserve the best in this world, Juanito, you deserve Paulita." Placido was about to stand but Juanito held his arm.

"Grant me just this night, Placido, please, I wouldn't be the same tomorrow."

"And Paulita-"

"Let her and let me do what I want to! Let me watch the whole world disappear," Juanito stopped as he frustratingly brushed his hair. "With you," he whispered to himself but it didn't escape Placido's ears.

"What do you mean?"

"Just you and me. Us, Placido."

"Is that even possible?" Placido asked with a bitter smile plastered on his lips.

"What are you afraid of?" Juanito's fist clenched.

"Don't be too naive about the world being against us, Juanito."

"Let them say what they want to! Shut them out. Can we try that, please?"

"Stop reminding me of everything that is broken."

"Placido," Juanito whispered as if a plea for him to understand the whole situation or to at least understand his perspective.

"Do you have the slightest idea how much you've pained me?"

"Do you have the slightest idea on how eager I am to shout ‘I love you’? How do I do it, Placido? Go on, tell me." Juanito looked at him sternly.

"Do you love her?" Juanito froze at Placido's question. Lowering his head, Placido hid the pang in his chest. Why ask Juanito that question? The answer was obvious.

"I do."

"Congratulations, then." Placido stood and turned his back on Juanito with a sigh. Come what may, but he knew for a fact, he will never be the same without Juanito, and nothing will ever be the same tomorrow. Everything that Señor Simoun had planned must be executed accordingly.

What has to happen is bound to happen.

Now, Placido will be back to the days where his life was nothing but a canvas of black and white.

"When the time comes that the world will understand what love really is, let our story reoccur in which we'll end up both happy."

Juanito grabbed his violin and fiddled its strings, he remembered the memories when he used to play the instrument with full delight because, at the back of his mind, he knew that Placido was watching him from afar, proud of him.

Juanito never wanted to be a lawyer or a businessman like his father, but he was society's puppet so what else was his choice? In all honesty, he wanted to be a performer, promoting the arts, but society dictates him to do otherwise. He wanted to love freely, but society dictates his heart to love according to its standards.

Placido turned his back for the last time and threw the heart stone with a force that Juanito would surely catch it.

"Take care for me," he stated and went back to Escolta, slowly accepting what the future holds to ease the feeling he had in his heart.

"Take care for me, Placido Penitente," Juanito whispered to himself as he watched Placido's figure disappear with the shadows. For minutes, he sat there blankly staring at the moon.

He opened his hand that revealed a heart stone, and while staring at it, he noticed that the lower part of the stone has a crack. He ran his thumb across it and blinked his tears away.

He does love Placido, but he has to choose Paulita for the better good. Don't get him wrong, he loves Paulita with the right love. Placido, on the other hand, was the love that couldn't be.

Paulita was his destiny so as him being a businessman. Placido was his passion, his music and his art. Juanito placed the heart stone in his pocket, stood up and held his violin.

 

_Having feelings for Placido will never be my regret. I am yet to await when our story will finally have the ending we both wanted. I hope that he will be the only one I know how to see when the world decides to finally bows to us._

_Many things were left unsaid and I have kept them all in my head. If I could freely express myself, I’ll indulge him of how he meant everything to me._

_But then, why fight in a battle when we’re a million worlds apart? He was far away and maybe with the wide distance, this might be the best for the both of us._

_-Juanito Pelaez_

**Author's Note:**

> I usually write fluffs and this is something new to me so apologies if it isn't that good or what huuuee but I really do hope you enjoyed it aaAACK


End file.
